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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23994301">awkward encounter</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HChnD/pseuds/%E3%85%8E%E3%85%8A%EB%8F%84'>ㅎㅊ도 (HChnD)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ATEEZ (Band), TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Cussing, Drabble, Friendship, Gen, I'm Sorry, I'm sorry for this as a whole, Not Beta Read, Strangers to Friends, awful first impressions, raised t for dirty mouths, the more fics I post the more I think I should quit this life, what a clapped title, what is this</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:08:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,196</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23994301</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HChnD/pseuds/%E3%85%8E%E3%85%8A%EB%8F%84</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Soobin wasn't sure what was more terrifying, the first day at university or his seatmate drinking litres of coffee as if it was water first thing in the morning.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Jongho &amp; Choi Soobin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>awkward encounter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>instead of trying to finish the 40k monster or working on any of my stoof for fic fests, here I am gifting myself a random drabble for no fucking reason. written after opening <a href="https://colormayfade.tumblr.com/generator">this prompt generator</a>, ignoring most of what was given to me safe for the last two options and getting the following:<br/><br/>I thought of writing it with jongho but felt weird to have one of the hyungs being with him so I opted to another 00z idol so. hi soobin. yeah anyway sorry for writing a txteez 00z out of the blue for no reason and making it awful and meh but like. whatever I'm bored</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Soobin, like most introverts, was not fond of new places nor of meeting new people. He liked his small share of friends, liked spending time either at home or at familiar surroundings with people he knew and trusted. But, thing was, none of his friends was in his university, or not at his age at least. Yeonjun was a year older, and Beomgyu was still attending his last high school year along with Kai and Taehyun, and all his classmates had gone to other universities, some even moved out of the city.</p><p>It was inevitable to be anxious. He was going to have to meet new people, in a strange place, and make new memories there.</p><p>He had barely slept the night before his first class, and even so, he made sure to leave half an hour earlier so that there was<em> no way</em> for him to be late. Punctuality was nice and all, and he knew he was exaggerating, but he was certain he wouldn't calm down if he didn't do that. At least this one day, Soobin felt like he needed to play safe. The safest.</p><p>Of course, he was the first one to arrive in his class. There was still twenty-and-something minutes until the class started, but either way, he made himself comfortable on the room that was written on his schedule. Only when he sat down on a seat at the front, near the windows, that he stopped to observe the classroom.</p><p>It was really big. Well, maybe only if compared to his high school classroom, but this looked like an auditorium to him. It had a large board at the front, a suspended stage where the professor's table stayed, and then a couple of rows and rows of chairs. The left wall had plenty of windows, where he could see some of the campus and the parking lot. There were some cars here and there, but he reasoned it was only natural. It was early, but the staff must have arrived a while ago. It must be their cars. It couldn't be from the students--</p><p>His line of thought was broken as the door opened abruptly. Soobin jumped on his seat, staring at the direction of the noise. He had expecting to be someone telling him he shouldn't be there, maybe a teacher, or an older student? But instead, he crossed eyes with a boy that couldn't be much older than himself.</p><p>Was he a classmate of his? He sure hoped not. The dude looked scary.</p><p>Gulping down, he politely bowed his head towards the stranger's direction. He was sitting down, but even so, he could tell the other was shorter than him. But with his broad shoulders and dark eyes, he still shivered in fear. It made him wonder if he was pissed off or just hated waking up early. He wasn't sure if he was tired or angry.</p><p>"This is Kim Yukwon-seonsaengnim's classroom, right?" he asked with a husky yet high pitched voice.</p><p>Soobin tried not to show how that voice had caught him off guard, expecting it to be much lower and aggressive. "Y-- yes," was the only noise that he managed to let out of his mouth, too nervous to form a full sentence. At least he hadn't dropped formality right away. He felt like it wasn't nice to anger the other.</p><p>He didn't respond to him, looking around the classroom before stepping in. He, differently than Soobin, spent almost a minute wondering where he should sit before moving close to the chairs. As he moved closer he tried not to look directly at him, turning to the windows and fixating his sight onto a random trashcan he had spotted outside.</p><p>He was nervous. Now that there was someone else in the room his mind wandered around more and more, worrying about the entire year that was ahead of them. What if the dude sat far from him because he already hated him? Or because he was unpleasing to look? Or because his answer had annoyed him? Or maybe he wanted to be the first one, but that had been himself instead, and now he saw him as his enemy?</p><p>Soobin gulped down again, turning his sight to his phone that was on the small table and checking the time. There was still fifteen minutes to the class? It felt like forever had passed but it's barely been a few minutes since his arrival. He was going to die.</p><p>"Want some?" he heard that same husky voice by his right, startling him. Huh, the boy had sitten two chairs beside him. That was unexpected.</p><p>What was more unexpected was that he had a cup of coffee in hands, showing it towards him. He was offering him some coffee.</p><p><em>Gross</em>. "Uhm. No, thanks. I don't like coffee."</p><p>"Suit yourself," he shook his shoulders as he started drinking it. And by drinking it, he <em>was swallowing all of its contents in a blink</em>, without any pause to breathe. </p><p>Staring was not polite, but even so, Soobin couldn't stop staring at the other. Wasn't the thing burning hot? Sure, winter hadn't ended yet, but <em>what the hell</em>? Coffee is not even that tasty, take it easy!</p><p>Once the cup was completely emptied, the stranger grabbed the thermos bottle from his table and opened it, dipping more coffee into it. And, just like the first cup, he swallowed it all down his throat.</p><p>It was when the third cup was emptied that he realized he couldn't keep watching it. "Dude, are you sure that you should be having this much coffee in the morning?"</p><p>He turned his head slowly towards him before scoffing. "Positive. I won't be alive if I don't have it all."</p><p>"Okay, I guess..."</p><p>The cup was once again filled, but only halfway. The boy sighed dramatically before moving towards his bag and taking off another thermos bottle and adding more coffee into it, until it was full again. And, as quickly as he filled it out, he drank it up.</p><p>"How many bottles do you have?" he caught himself questioning, noticing a bit too late that he had spoken it out loud.</p><p>"This plus one more. Also, I'm considering buying some energy drinks, I'm sure I saw a vending machine on my way here."</p><p>"<em>Are you nuts?!</em>"</p><p>The other got startled a bit, not expecting Soobin to shout. In his defence, he also hadn't expected to shout either. "What?"</p><p>"I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to sound so rude, but... I'm a little concerned about the amount of caffeine you're taking in right now."</p><p>The other laughed at him, but at least he closed the thermos bottle as he spoke. "Dude, it's the university, on a Monday. If I don't have this now, by Wednesday I'll be dead."</p><p>"I'm sure you'll be dead because of a heart attack instead."</p><p>"Dude--"</p><p>"Choi Soobin."</p><p>He sighed. "Choi Soobin, this is <em>nothing</em>. I am used to that, I survived high school on a three-year-long caffeine rush."</p><p>Soobin's jaw fell down. He didn't even try to hide how shocking it was to hear those words. "How are you even alive?!"</p><p>"This is why I am alive," he rolled his eyes, raising the cup towards his lips and sipping it. At least he was drinking it slower than before, but at the same time, he had his eyes on him. It was almost as if he was doing that to prove him a point.</p><p>He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Whatever, weirdo."</p><p>"Choi Jongho," he said after the last gulp, resting the cup on the table. He had his hands towards the bottle again, trying to open it, but he couldn't.</p><p>Because the moment he went to open it, Soobin got up from his seat and took it from his hands. "I think that's enough for now."</p><p>"What the hell?! I need this!"</p><p>"Maybe after class, but you had a whole bottle and it's not even started!"</p><p>Jongho furrowed his eyes and got up, and Soobin smirked to himself. He really was taller than him, who was probably around Taehyun's height. So, using it to his advantage, he raised both his arms. "Fuck you! This is mine!"</p><p>"I'm trying to take care of your health!"</p><p>"Take care, my fucking ass!!" he kept shouting as he jumped to grab it, failing every time. "Don't fucking fuck with me, motherfucker, because I will fuck your ass up!"</p><p>He couldn't help but snort at that. "You? Sure you will, shortie."</p><p>That made his classmate take a step backwards, and Soobin counted that as a personal victory. But maybe that thought had come in too soon because, in a matter of seconds, he found himself on his knees as Jongho held his arm on his back. "Ouch, ouch, stop it! Fine, dude, I'll give it to you! What the fuck--"</p><p>"This could have been avoided if you would just give it back to me," he spoke calmly, taking back his bottle and letting the other go. Wow, his wrists were itchy now, and a bit red too. </p><p>"You could have broken my arm!"</p><p>"I wouldn't go that far, don't worry."</p><p>"You didn't even deny it!" His voice went a little too high as he said that, eyes wide open. So he<em> really could have</em> broken his arm if so he desired?</p><p>Well, at least now he knew that he really shouldn't anger Choi Jongho. That earlier thought wasn't an irrational one.</p><p>He watched as the other went back into filling his cup, but at least this time he didn't fill it completely. That made Soobin raise a single brow, eyes still on him as he kept drinking it. </p><p>Once he finished the cup, he crossed eyes with him again. "What now?"</p><p>"Nothing," he answered quickly, sitting back at his seat and unlocking his phone again. Come on, three minutes to class and no one else was coming? What's with university students and not knowing what punctuality means!</p><p>Soobin sighed, looking at the windows again. Maybe if he ignores it all time will pass faster and the class will end? His entire day will end? His entire school year would end, until he was graduated and didn't need any more stress and--</p><p>"Hey."</p><p>He felt a shiver go through his body as he stared back at Jongho. "What?"</p><p>"Sorry for hurting you. And for shouting at you. Monday mornings and I aren't exactly the best of friends."</p><p>Soobin gulped and it felt hard to swallow, despite there being nothing stuck. "It's fine. I shouldn't have taken your belongings either way, I'm sure you know your body the best."</p><p>The other gave him a half-smile. "Yeah... anyway, I've been thinking, wanna hang out during lunch or something? Even right after class, if you're up to that."</p><p>"Uhm. Sure?"</p><p>Jongho blinked. "Oh. Cool."</p><p>"Yeah. I mean, I don't really know anyone at all, except for his one hyung but he's from another year, obviously, so it'd be nice to bond with people my age--"</p><p>He stopped his rambling as he heard giggles coming from his right. Soobin tilted his head as he saw the other laugh as if he had told him a funny joke. "No need to explain yourself, I understand. Actually, I'm the same as you. I know no one but a couple of hyungs, and you seem cool enough to befriend."</p><p>Huh, why were his cheeks feeling hot out of the sudden? "Cool."</p><p>"Really cool."</p><p>"Yeah..."</p><p>The room went silent again, with Soobin looking away and the other doing something on his phone. He tried not to peak, but he'd be lying if that didn't make him a bit anxious. Maybe he was texting his friends - real friends - and laughing about how he'd fooled him? Because, well, who would want to be friends with someone who tried to take your stuff--</p><p>"What's your number?"</p><p>He stared at Jongho again. "What?"</p><p>"Your number? Let me add you, so we can text each other and stuff, you know, the usual."</p><p>"Oh. Sure."</p><p>They exchanged numbers, and once they realized they both liked games, starting talking about their main characters. It was a little weird how at ease he felt around the other, especially after the worst first impression they could give to each other. But, even so, he couldn't complain about it.</p><p>After all, he had gotten a new friend, and this was just the first day of university. It could have gotten much worse than that. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>("Excuse me, you two, but what are you doing in this classroom?"</p><p>Soobin and Jongho stared at each other with mirrored puzzled expressions. "Uhm, we were supposed to have a class in," Soobin stared at his phone screen, "thirty-eight minutes ago with Kim Yukwon-seonsaengnim?"</p><p>The lady stared blankly at him. "This is classroom number 304. Yukwon-nim's classroom is in 124, at the other department."</p><p>Jongho facepalmed himself. "This is why no one came in all this time."</p><p>"I can't believe we both got the classroom wrong before even knowing each other," he completed as he politely nodded to the woman at the door. "Thank you, miss, we'll get there right away.")</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>bro do not ask</p></blockquote></div></div>
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